A Moment of Vulnerability
by uniquechic
Summary: Leela feels especially isolated one night after another bad date and winds up making a late night call to get sympathy out of a friend. Oneshot.


I haven't posted anything in at least a year, so if anyone waited on me i'm sorry... it's been hectic. I might keep up the Inuyasha fics but i really don't know. In the meantime enjoy this

With a defeated sigh, she let her shoulders slump and dropped her exhausted body onto the edge of her still unmade bed. There was nothing left to do but cradle her head in the safety of her hands. She concentrated on the pressure her palm created against her raw eye and nothing else. It was in this stance- slouched forward, elbows digging into her knees, holding her face behind tired hands- that she spent what she could only guess as the majority of her night.

When she finally found the strength to move, she uncovered her bloodshot eye to the seemingly harsh light of her lonely and empty apartment. The reality had begun to eat away at her. She was still all alone. _'Why do I let myself get so worked up about everything? I can't be so naïve that I expect to find love in every one of my dates. Just grow up already!'_ She mentally scolded herself as she shuffled her feet across the room to where Nibbler was sleeping, curled up on top of her green jacket. She reached out a hand to pet him and ease her heart a little, but he refused to be messed with. As soon as her fingertips grazed his fur, he groggily ascended his post and stumbled into the living room to resume his slumber. She shot him a half-hearted glare before sliding to the floor.

Tilting her headful of purple hair back, she let her hands fall to the floor, barely registering when her left hand came in contact with something hard. Lolling her head to the side, she reached into her jacket pocket to discover what she had hit. A cell phone.

Leela smiled slightly when she saw the background. It was a picture of Fry and Bender at the zoo. Bender had his arm around Fry in a friendly manner, and despite the fact that Fry had just manage to escape the lion den Bender had thrown him into and was still bleeding from various body parts, Fry was laughing in that carefree manner of his. She thought for a moment, and realized she hadn't seen Fry be mad for longer than ten minutes in the entire three years she'd known him. No matter what catastrophe had occurred in either of their lives, he would grin and bear it, usually trying to make a joke of the situation. '_He would know what to say to make me feel better'_ She thought to herself. _'He may not say the right words but at least he tries.'_

She stared at her phone for a few long minutes, willing it to make the decision for her. If she called Fry this late, she'd need a reason. She had no excuses; she was defenseless. What could she say? 'I know it's really late and you need sleep, but could you listen to me complain about my love life?' Leela closed her eye and sighed again at the futility of this night. She closed her fingers around the phone, still thinking. What would be the harm in calling? It was a Friday night, after all. Fry and Bender would probably still be out drinking; even if they weren't Fry slept so hard he wouldn't wake up. She would call him, he wouldn't answer, and she would deal with her own problem without having to be vulnerable. It seemed like a decent plan.

She dialed his number, feeling confident he wouldn't answer. To her surprise, his gravely morning voice greeted her.

"Hello?" Fry breathed into the phone, still asleep for the most part. Leela mouthed a several cuss words as he repeated himself a few times.

"Fry? Are you awake?" She almost slapped herself in the face for asking such a dumb question. Fry hoisted himself on his elbow and blinked numerous times, trying to decipher if this was really happening or if it was another dream as he recognized the voice.

"Yeah I'm up. What do you need?" He asked, still almost whispering.

She bit her bottom lip as she searched her brain for anything that might work, but she was far too frazzled to come up with a reply. "It's nothing. I'm sorry. Go back to sleep ok?" She tried to sound friendly, but she still came off as a zombie.

"Do you want to talk?" His concern was evident, even half asleep and over the phone. His only answer was silence. "How about a hug?" He tried again.

She thought for a moment before she said, "Sure. The next time I see you, I want a hug."

"No I mean right now- do you want a hug? I can be over there in ten minutes." There was a lull in the conversation as she considered it. In a quiet voice Leela said yes to Fry. The phone was set to the side and the waiting began.

She washed her face, brushed her teeth and took down her hair, already wishing this ordeal was over with. Every passing second made her regret calling. All too soon, she heard a faint knock on her door.

When she opened the door to her apartment, she had no choice but to laugh a little. Standing in her entryway was Fry, who had apparently thrown on shoes and started walking, not even bothering to grab his trademark red jacket to wear over his striped pajama pants and white shirt. He smiled his goofy half smile at her, making him look even more ridiculous as his red hair poked out in all directions, except the flattened right side, evidently the side he had fallen asleep on.

He stepped inside, carefully closing the door behind him before spreading his arms to invite her in. With a shy step forward, she felt his arms circle around her securely.

Leela forgot how to breathe as Fry embraced her. Oh how she needed this. When was the last time she had been hugged in a non-sexual way? She couldn't remember. It was nice to be held out of friendship for once. A wave of joy and sadness crashed over her suddenly and before she could stop herself she began to sob again.

"What's wrong?" Fry asked, loosening his grip so that he could hold this woman even more delicately than he had been. She just buried her face into his collarbone and babbled incoherently. He looked desperately for a place where she would feel comfortable enough to talk. Fry slowly walked towards the bed, guiding Leela with him and setting them both onto the mattress. Gingerly he removed her from his chest and held her at arms length.

"Please Leela, what's wrong?" He asked again, his eyes smoldering into hers.

It took a minute for her to pull herself together enough to answer, "I just feel so alone." Her voice cracked at the end as she started to tear up again. She felt the shame and embarrassment bubbling up through all of her walls. Why the hell did she call? Why couldn't she grow up and deal with her own problems?

Without another word, Fry had enveloped Leela again, tucking her face back into the safety of his neck, and tenderly rubbed her back as he whispered, "You're not alone." She softened under his touch right then and she let the full weight of her body be supported by him. The stress melted away entirely until she was left with a blissful moment with a man that truly cared for her. She closed her eye lost herself in the feeling of being protected.

After only a few minutes, Fry realized Leela's breathing had changed. She had stopped sobbing and was now back to a slow and steady tempo. He called out to her, but she didn't move a muscle. An easy smile spread across his face when he discovered she was fast asleep.

As carefully as he could, he scooped her into his arm and laid her onto her bed. He brushed her bangs out of her face, chuckling the way his fingers loosely tangled themselves in her thick hair. She was more lovely now than she had ever been, Fry thought to himself. He turned off the light and laid himself on the far edge of the bed. He knew he needed someone to be there with her but he wasn't going to impose. Within an instant she curled herself next to him. Fry took Leela into his arms again that night and sleep took the couple in.

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